Broken Walls
by Maleday
Summary: Harry uses Veritaserum to get Draco to talk about his nightmares. Free verse. Drarry.


**A/N:** This is written for the **Bastille Lyrics Challenge by wallywesting** and the **Freeverse Drabble Challenge by KeepsAwaytheNargles, **Themes: **truth and pride**, as well as my Round 4 entry for **Lamia's Test Your Limits Competition**.

Prompts used: **"And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we loved." **and **"It's harder than you think, telling dreams from one another."** But I've mixed in other Bastille lyrics. See if you can find them.

This is written as Drarry with Harry as the speaker, but can be read however you want.

**Disclaimer:** I own not a word of Harry Potter. Also, I'm really not sure if this is actually free verse style... I've never attempted it before.

* * *

**Broken Walls**

When Draco stirs in his sleep,  
his hair spills like silver feathers about his face,  
always to land in a new and perfect array  
that no matter how hard I try,  
I cannot memorize.

_How can dark dreams live behind such white light? _

When his mouth moves soundlessly,  
I hold my breath  
and move my ear close,  
listening for the silent words  
formed by his half-parted lips.

_I need to know what haunts you from behind those pale, flickering eyelids._

He knows what I see at night;  
I tell him before he even asks,  
the sounds still roaring in my ears,  
the tumbling  
walls of  
Hogwarts,  
falling stone  
from the palace  
that we loved,  
landing  
among the corpses of the ones we lost.

_I don't deny that I still feel afraid. _

With firm arms wrapped around me  
like a Shield Charm fused to my body,  
Draco coaxes my terror out of my mind  
and into the air between us.  
Sooner than I think,  
I can no longer tell my dreams from one another.  
They wisp around me like lost ghosts,  
made powerless by a feeling  
so much stronger than fear.

_What memories taunt_ you_, Draco? _

Draco says nothing about his dreams,  
not even while dreaming.  
Not even when the deep and anguished frown  
creases across his face  
and his body tenses next to me,  
and he whimpers,  
and sometimes (screams).

_You must have the words in that head of yours. _

When I shake his shoulders and he wakes,  
his shame hardens in the shape of his back to my face.  
His bare shoulders round inward, bone rippling skin,  
and he seals himself deaf to my questions,  
and numb to my touch.

_I will force your fears into the open.  
__The walls of your pride,  
__I will brush aside  
like ashes in a gentle breeze.  
__And by my love,  
I will kindle even the darkness  
you've tucked away  
__behind your soul. _

Months ago, I brewed the truth-demanding tonic.  
Tonight, I feel desperate enough to use it:  
deceit to force honesty,  
a contradiction made necessary  
by the Malfoy dignity.

_You say I'm an angel, but did you know I can be wicked? _

I freeze in place, but Draco doesn't notice the sound of glass  
clinking together from inside the bathroom,  
nor the increased volume of Sleep Potion in the vial  
that he depends on.

_You thought I didn't know?_

I can taste the Veritaserum in his mouth  
when he folds his body into mine  
and kisses me with unsuspecting tenderness.  
The potion works fast in my own mind,  
trying to force me to admit my sin.  
I've never bit my tongue so hard  
against the pressure to _speak_.

_Is this how it feels for you to hold back your words?_

Draco drops into a restless sleep,  
his hair swaying in the perfect dance about his head  
that he tosses back and forth,  
as though admonishing my deception.

_Fine. I feel guilty, but not sorry._

When Draco's body goes rigid  
and sweat appears on his terror-stretched face,  
I crawl over him like a tiger pinning down his prey.  
My hands press into the mattress above his shoulders.

_"__Draco. Draco!"_

I call his name and his eyes spring open,  
flickering alarmed silver light around the dark room.  
His breathing slows and his eyes settle, downcast.  
He tries to turn away.

_"__Look at me."_

His chin quivers slightly as I guide it to face me,  
a torrent of words untold,  
trembling to escape.

_"__Tell me."_

His mouth bursts open,  
like the floodgates of an overstressed wall,  
and the words come pouring,  
shameless and true.

* * *

A/N: I realize this ending is anticlimactic, which is why I may add a chapter onto this... However I feel this is all that needs saying at this point. By all means, leave your response! Thanks for reading!


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